How do you create professional cartographic layouts in ArcGIS Pro?

Creating professional cartographic layouts in ArcGIS Pro involves designing a composition of one or more maps, along with supporting elements such as a title, a legend, and descriptive text.

A page layout is a collection of map elements organized on a virtual page designed for map printing. This process transforms raw geographic data into polished, publication-ready maps suitable for reports, presentations, or regulatory submissions—particularly important in energy infrastructure planning where clear communication of spatial information is essential.

Key Points

- The first step to creating a map layout in ArcGIS Pro is to insert a new layout into your project by going to the Insert menu and selecting New Layout

- Common map elements include one or more map frames, a scale bar, a north arrow, a map title, descriptive text, and a legend

- ArcGIS Pro does not let you edit the map within the Layout View unless you activate the map frame

- Layout files (.pagx file extension) are saved layouts that can be shared across projects and used as templates for new projects to create consistency

• Professional layouts require attention to cartographic conventions including visual hierarchy, proper element placement, and appropriate export settings for the intended output medium

Understanding Cartographic Layouts in ArcGIS Pro

In ArcGIS Pro, a mapped area with symbols is built in a window called a map, and one or more maps can then be incorporated as map frames into layouts where you can add additional graphical elements and marginalia. This separation between the map view (where you work with data) and the layout view (where you compose the final product) is fundamental to the ArcGIS Pro workflow.

Cartography is "the science or art of making maps," and the two broad objectives of cartography are creating maps that are useful and creating maps that are beautiful.

Cartographic techniques and conventions have been developed by cartographers over hundreds of years of map making that are commonly accepted in the cartographic community, including the use of a standard set of map elements as building blocks to construct maps.

An ArcGIS Pro project can contain multiple maps and multiple layouts. This flexibility allows energy professionals to maintain separate analytical maps while creating multiple presentation layouts from the same data—for example, one layout for technical review and another for stakeholder presentations.

How It Works

1. Create a New Layout: In ArcGIS Pro, go to the Insert menu, select New Layout, and choose the page size and orientation (e.g., landscape or portrait) for your layout.

Your map layout will open as a new tab in your project.

2. Add the Map Frame: When you create a new map layout, it will first display as a blank piece of paper, and you will need to add your map(s), legend, and other map elements to the layout by going to the Insert menu and selecting Map Frame.

Use your mouse to draw a large rectangle on the layout, and the map frame is added to the layout.

3. Activate and Adjust the Map: To interact with a map to perform tasks such as manual navigation, interactive feature selection, and editing, you must first activate the map frame, which hides layout-specific ribbon tabs and tools and instead shows map-specific ribbon tabs and tools.

To edit the map position in the Layout View, you must activate the map, which locks the other elements in the layout so you will only be able to work with the map, and once you are done, you must close the map's activation to regain control over the layout.

4. Add Cartographic Elements: Go to the Insert menu when you're in layout view and choose one of the text options (e.g., straight text) in the Graphics and Text section to add a text box to your map.

In the Map Surrounds group, click the North Arrow drop-down arrow and click ArcGIS North 1 or any north arrow you like. Add scale bars, legends, and other necessary elements using similar methods from the Insert tab.

5. Use Guides for Alignment: Right-click the vertical or horizontal ruler bar and select Add Guide if you want to add a guide at that mark on the ruler.

As you adjust the placement of items on your map layout (e.g., map frame, scale bar, etc.), they'll snap to the guides that you've placed on your map to help you align the various elements.

6. Customize Element Properties: After you add a layout element (e.g., scale bar, north arrow, etc.) to your map layout, you can use the menu bar (or right-click) the item to further customize its properties.

When you select an element in the Contents pane, a contextual tab for that element appears on the ribbon, and the contextual ribbon allows you to view and set the most common properties for the selected element.

7. Export the Final Layout: When you are finished with your map layout, you can go to the Share menu to export your layout, and you will need to be in layout view to see the export map layout option.

When the layout is finished, you will export it as a PDF file.

Why It Matters

Professional cartographic layouts are essential for effective communication in the energy sector. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are revolutionizing power grid mapping and infrastructure planning by linking geospatial intelligence with electrical grid data, enabling utility companies and energy planners to visualize, assess, and optimize power distribution networks. Well-designed layouts transform complex spatial analysis into clear visual narratives that support decision-making for infrastructure development, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder engagement.

Creating a layout in ArcGIS Pro allows you to design professional-quality maps for presentations, reports, or publication, and the layout view provides tools to arrange map elements, such as titles, legends, scale bars, and other graphics, ensuring your map is both informative and visually appealing. In energy applications—from renewable energy site selection to transmission line planning—the ability to produce consistent, professional cartographic products accelerates project timelines and improves communication across technical and non-technical audiences.

Related Terms

• Map Frame: A window into one of the maps within your project that displays geographic data within a layout

• Layout File (.pagx): Saved layouts that can be shared across projects and used as a template for new projects to create consistency across a set of layouts or throughout an organization

• Marginalia: A term that covers all the other map elements separate from the main mapped area that provide additional information about the map to help readers interpret the map

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reuse layout designs across multiple projects?

Yes. Layout files (.pagx file extension) are saved layouts that can be shared across projects and can be used as a template for new projects and can create consistency across a set of layouts or throughout an organization.

Layout files can either contain map frames and elements that reference maps and layers, or contain empty map frames that don't reference maps and layers, and empty map frames can be populated after the layout file is imported.

How do I ensure my layout prints correctly?

The page size varies depending on the specifications for the output, and what you see on the layout is what you will get when you print or export the map to the same page size. For high-quality printing, particularly for energy infrastructure maps used in regulatory submissions, consider using CMYK color space and appropriate resolution settings when exporting.

What's the difference between a map and a layout in ArcGIS Pro?

In ArcGIS Pro, a mapped area with the symbols is built in a window called a map, and one or more maps can then be incorporated as map frames into layouts where you can add additional graphical elements and marginalia. The map is where you perform analysis and symbolize data, while the layout is where you compose the final cartographic product for presentation or publication.

Last updated: May 18, 2026. For the latest energy news and analysis, visit stakeandpaper.com.